Northwest Youth Corps helps Portland area’s trail system

By Natalie Whitson

Oregon is one of the best walk- ing and running cities in the country. The area’s many avid trail users benefit from the region’s temperate weather, and beautiful surroundings, while being well-equipped by numer- ous local outdoor companies which include Nike, Adidas, Columbia Sportswear, Keen, Hi-Tec Sports, Under Armour, and Merrell.

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And needless to say, the area’s abundant trails— many with a relative- ly low altitude, easy approach, and short distance from the Portland metro area, if not actually in the city— make them popular among hikers with vari- ous skill levels. A quick glance at the

ften named the “Greenest City in America,” Portland,

Portland Hiker’s website lists no less than 63 different loop hikes ranging from Portland’s Forest Park— the larg- est urban forest in the United States— to hikes through deciduous woodlands and beaches at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Another popular recreational desti- nation in the greater Portland area is the rural, predominantly forested Sandy Ridge Trail System, located about 50 miles east of the city on a ridge just west of Mount Hood. Home to two des- ignated Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Sandy Ridge Trail System provides new trail opportunities specifically designed for mountain bikers in the foothills of the Cascade Range.

Operated by the Salem BLM— which has acquired nearly 6,000 acres of land in the area in the past 15 years— the trail system winds through a typical western Oregon forest of Douglas fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, and various hardwood species. The need for the Sandy Ridge Trail System was identified after BLM

bought the land in 2001, and conducted surveys to hear what Oregonians want- ed as a new recreation option. With the construction of a mountain bike trail emerging as the clear winner, the Sandy Ridge master plan was created by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA).

The Sandy Ridge trails form the

nation’s largest trail system built specif- ically for mountain bikes on federal land, and one of only a handful of proj- ects like it in the U.S. An important eco- nomic driver for the nearby town of Sandy— which created a mountain bike rental program to capitalize on the trails’ success— more than half of the users live farther than 15 miles away. Many tourists even come from other countries, according to Sandy Assistant City Manager David Snider. While IMBA volunteers have con- tributed heavily to the trail’s construc- tion in recent years, they have been

26 FALL 2014 AmericanTrails.org